LAS VEGAS, NEVADA—Netgear plans to release a set-top box running Google TV, the company announced at its CES press conference on Monday. Dubbed the NeoTV Prime, the new set-top box will allow users to access and interact with apps from the Google Play store.

This Google Play access will open up a number of video streaming apps for use on a TV, such as Netflix or HBO Go, in addition to music apps like Pandora. Netgear mentioned there will also be apps specifically designed for TV use.

The box comes with a two-sided remote control that has a touchpad/directional pad on one side and a QWERTY keyboard on the other. The touchpad side also has quick-access buttons designated with popular video services, like Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and HBO Go. Maybe not the most future-proof design, but convenient for now.

The NeoTV Prime is similar in size and shape to the latest Apple TV: it's a small back box with rounded corners. The box measures 4.7 by 4.1 inches and is 1.5 inches tall, not quite as petite as the Apple TV (3.9 x 3.9 x 0.9 inches). Curiously, the NeoTV Prime can run off two AAA batteries in addition to a power adapter. As for connectivity, Netgear says only that the box can use a "Broadband Internet connection" and has an HDMI port to connect to the TV.

According to Netgear, the NeoTV Prime's software will include Google TV Prime Time, which will recommend TV shows and movies based on users' watching habits.

In the tier below the NeoTV Prime is the NeoTV Max, which removes the ability to install and interact with Google Play apps. Instead, the NeoTV Max works more like a conventional streaming box with access to services like Vudu and Netflix, but it can also act as a SlingPlayer to extend cable TV subscriptions to screens not connected to a cable box.

The Push2TV from Netgear.

In addition to the NeoTV Prime, Netgear also announced a new version of its wireless display adapter, Push2TV, that will allow users to throw their smartphone or laptop display to their television screen. The TV must be Intel WiDi-enabled and have a USB port to be able to use the dongle, and the smartphones must be Miracast-enabled (the Samsung Galaxy SIII and Sony Xperia TL are two examples of compatible handsets).

The NeoTV Prime will be priced at $129.99 and will be available immediately. No release date or price was announced for the Push2TV.

Casey Johnston
Casey Johnston is the former Culture Editor at Ars Technica, and now does the occasional freelance story. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Applied Physics. Twitter@caseyjohnston

Although it is a nice idea to include such a functional remote control in the package for users without a smartphone, but wouldn't it be nice if Google/Netgear offered a $99 option that drops the hardware remote and includes a free Android / iOS / WinPhone remote app to control the GoogleTV?

This would make the Google TV cost competitive with the Apple TV and enable future-proofing of the remote function by enabling software updates to remote functionality.

Can it also stream a local video collection, or only play items from Google's Play Store?

Use Plex App.

Or XBMC for Android.

Plex requires the server with the media to be running plex, it also isn't free. XBMC isn't supported on all devices (I have a revue which isn't supported). The other question is how good codec support will be for your own media. A lot of STB's used hardware decoding so they are less flexible than a more powerful computer that is more general purpose. I'm not sure if the XBMC app will be as easygoing about codecs as the desktop version because of this.

I backed that project and received mine not too long ago. I've also got an original Logitech Revue (Google TV) unit. I actually barely use the PocketTV as several of the apps that have a GoogleTV version are better on the GoogleTV (YouTube is a big one). That being said, I do use the PocketTV for apps that aren't GoogleTV compatible.

I'm really hoping that Google fixes that problem between apps that are and aren't compatible between the Android OSes. Maybe allow the GoogleTV ones to be installed on things like the PocketTV. That would be nice.

Can it also stream a local video collection, or only play items from Google's Play Store?

Use Plex App.

Or XBMC for Android.

Plex requires the server with the media to be running plex, it also isn't free. XBMC isn't supported on all devices (I have a revue which isn't supported). The other question is how good codec support will be for your own media. A lot of STB's used hardware decoding so they are less flexible than a more powerful computer that is more general purpose. I'm not sure if the XBMC app will be as easygoing about codecs as the desktop version because of this.

You can use a free app like BubbleUPnP instead of Plex to stream media from a remote device running a free UPnP/DLNA server (like minidlna). Alternatively, there are media player apps you can use, such as aVia Media Player, which will let you play local media that's on the device itself.

In other words, there are plenty of options, both free and paid to do whatever the OP wants to do.

Any info on what version of Android this thing is running? I sincerely hope it's not still a honeycomb-based version of GoogleTV proper, and is instead a custom ICS/JB-based Android version designed to fit on the TV.

I have a Revue at home, and while it works well for what I want to do, it's not running the latest and greatest OS, so you are restricted to TV-specific apps (of which there are few) and can't run the latest Chrome browser (with sync and improved performance).

Google really needs to update the TV platform to ICS/JB, because it's starting to get really long in the tooth. A simple update could make all standard apps available on the TV, as well as games and controller support, which would be awesome.

If there's no local storage playback through USB, it's a 100% no-go for me. That should be an absolute standard these days. I understand that streaming is the obvious wave of the future, but stream-only devices also present an incredible inconvenience in certain situations. I think we've all had a friendly gathering where someone has a video to watch on their USB drive, and where it's a 1 step affair with something like a WDTV, it's a 5+ step hassle with streaming only devices.

The more of these boxes that come out, the more I'm convinced it's worth the time and money to just build an HTPC. Everything is just one feature short of what I want, either it's missing this or that streaming service, or it runs those codex but not the other. What I would give for some open stadards and fewer walled gardens.

So... what ports are on this? So far, the only things confirmed in the article are... HDMI and power supply. Not sure about an ethernet port, much less USB. Were there any pictures of the back?

It has them:

Quote:

The NeoTV Prime comes with one HDMI in, one HDMI out, an Ethernet port and a USB port.

jimbles wrote:

If there's no local storage playback through USB, it's a 100% no-go for me. That should be an absolute standard these days. I understand that streaming is the obvious wave of the future, but stream-only devices also present an incredible inconvenience in certain situations. I think we've all had a friendly gathering where someone has a video to watch on their USB drive, and where it's a 1 step affair with something like a WDTV, it's a 5+ step hassle with streaming only devices.

Here's hoping that Netgear doesn't slap their own crappy UI skin on top of Google TV the way Vizio did with the Co-Star.

Others have said it, and I'll say it again: Google needs to update Google TV to be in line with the latest handset and tablet versions of Android, and release a Google TV NDK for these set top boxes to really be worthwhile. As they are now, they really don't have enough features over a Roku to justify the extra cost.

Can it also stream a local video collection, or only play items from Google's Play Store?

Use Plex App.

Or XBMC for Android.

Plex requires the server with the media to be running plex, it also isn't free. XBMC isn't supported on all devices (I have a revue which isn't supported). The other question is how good codec support will be for your own media. A lot of STB's used hardware decoding so they are less flexible than a more powerful computer that is more general purpose. I'm not sure if the XBMC app will be as easygoing about codecs as the desktop version because of this.

You can use a free app like BubbleUPnP instead of Plex to stream media from a remote device running a free UPnP/DLNA server (like minidlna). Alternatively, there are media player apps you can use, such as aVia Media Player, which will let you play local media that's on the device itself.

In other words, there are plenty of options, both free and paid to do whatever the OP wants to do.

Have you tried those options, because I have. DLNA is much more difficult to configure than a samba server or NFS, and besides, in the end it comes down to codec and container support. I have tried over and over to get transcoding to work, because that stuff is super finicky. If it was as easy as you claim we would all be streaming to our 360 or PS3 by now, and no one would care about android.

Have you tried those options, because I have. DLNA is much more difficult to configure than a samba server or NFS, and besides, in the end it comes down to codec and container support. I have tried over and over to get transcoding to work, because that stuff is super finicky. If it was as easy as you claim we would all be streaming to our 360 or PS3 by now, and no one would care about android.

Plex Media Server (the server is freeware, the Plex client for Android costs money) will do transcoding on the fly for devices that can't play the stream directly. I use it with a Roku 2 player, and it works really well (there are occasional A/V sync issues for transcoded streams). Plex Media Server also includes a DLNA server for devices without a "native" Plex client. I can use Plex to stream media to my PS3, for example.

Have you tried those options, because I have. DLNA is much more difficult to configure than a samba server or NFS, and besides, in the end it comes down to codec and container support. I have tried over and over to get transcoding to work, because that stuff is super finicky. If it was as easy as you claim we would all be streaming to our 360 or PS3 by now, and no one would care about android.

Plex Media Server (the server is freeware, the Plex client for Android costs money) will do transcoding on the fly for devices that can't play the stream directly. I use it with a Roku 2 player, and it works really well (there are occasional A/V sync issues for transcoded streams). Plex Media Server also includes a DLNA server for devices without a "native" Plex client. I can use Plex to stream media to my PS3, for example.

I had issues with plex, but it seems like it is just a problem with the Logitech revue. (There is a disclaimer on the Plex site). Maybe I will try it again with one of the other devices I have sitting under the TV.

From a port standpoint, it has an IR blaster port which is something I find lacking in the Vizio. This Netgear and the ASUS Cube appears to have both.

Edit: I wrongly thought there was no USB port on the Netgear. It certainly doesn't show up in any of the pictures for the device on. Per the install guide pdf, it's on the side. What an annoying place to put the port: http://www.netgear.com/landing/stream/tv/#googletv#specs

We have a TV in the Kitchen that gets slingbox via an AppleTV and an iphone. I can see myself putting this in the TV and the AppleTV in via the HDMI input on the NeoTV. That way I have the best of all worlds in streaming with the Neo providing TV via Slingbox. I like the proposition, if it works, then I may get one for every TV.

XBMC will do it. XBMC is available for Android devices as well (though HW acceleraion is only working for a few of them at this time). My wife's Nexus 7, for example, can stream H.264 MKVs with AC# audio from my media server at SD resolutions with no dropped frames. 1080p video is very choppy though - this is all with SW decode. The Raspberry Pi also has XBMC available for it, and the Raspberry Pi can HW Accel MPEG2, VC1 and H.264 (the VC1 and MPEG2 cost a couple of bucks extra to unlock on the device, though) and the Pi also supports HDMI CEC so you can use your TV's remote to control it.

What will Google Corporation's own Free corporate Speech rights put on the screen? Google Corporation's opinions about which show I should watch? Googles free speech rights enabled direction to the most profitable show they feel I might swallow? Oh, Google Corporation, how f'd can you possibly get?